The Cleveland Cavaliers pay a visit to the Denver Nuggets at the Ball Arena on Monday night. Here’s a Nuggets vs Cavaliers Prediction. This article will include a Nuggets vs Cavaliers Pick.
Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been on a tear as they’ve reeled off 10 wins from their past 12 games overall and they will be gunning for a fourth straight victory after sneaking past the Kings in a 132-126 road win on Saturday. Donovan Mitchell led the team with 35 points on 13 of 24 shooting, Jarrett Allen added 29 points with 10 rebounds on 11 of 12 shooting while James Harden chipped in with 23 points and eight assists. As a team, the Cavaliers shot 52 percent from the field and 11 of 35 from the 3-point line as they got off to a slow start. They needed a scoring surge from Mitchell to keep them within striking distance before they hit their stride and closed the final 3:43 on an 18-5 run to escape with the narrow road win.
Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets went through a tough stretch of three straight losses before they snapped out of it with a 136-120 road win over the Bulls on Saturday. Jamal Murray led the team with 28 points and 11 assists, Tim Hardaway Jr added 23 points off the bench while Nikola Jokic tallied a triple-double of 22 points with 14 rebounds and 17 assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot a sizzling 58 percent from the field and 16 of 33 from the 3-point line, but they trailed for most of the game. They looked like they were in trouble before they dominated the fourth quarter by 39-16 to make it look easy in the end. It was a real balanced scoring effort as the Nuggets had a total of eight players finishing in double figures in scoring.
Why the Denver Nuggets will win
- The Nuggets have won each of their last six Monday games as underdogs.
- The Cavaliers have lost three of their last five games as road favorites against Northwest Division opponents following a win.
- The Nuggets have covered the spread in each of their last seven games against Central Division opponents.
- The Cavaliers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five games against Northwest Division opponents following a win.
Why the Cleveland Cavaliers will win
- The Cavaliers have won 10 of their last 11 night games.
- The Nuggets have lost each of their last five games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Cavaliers have covered the spread in each of their last seven games as road favorites against Northwest Division opponents.
- The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in six of their last eight home games following a road win.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Nuggets’ last six games have gone OVER the total points line.
- Eight of the Cavaliers’ last nine road games against Northwest Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
Denver Nuggets Player Facts
- Cameron Johnson ranks 11th amongst qualified players for 3P% (43.4%) this season.
- Jonas Valanciunas ranks 12th amongst qualified players for rebounds per 36 minutes (12.9) this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers Player Facts
- James Harden has recorded 6+ assists in 15 consecutive appearances – longest active streak of any player in the league.
- Donovan Mitchell ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for three-pointers made per game (3.7) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for points per game this season (120.4).
- The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for opponent turnovers per game this season (12.0).
- The Cavaliers rank 1st in the league for field goals made per game this season (43.6).
- The Cavaliers rank 1st in the league for Q3 points per game this season (31.2).
Nuggets vs Cavaliers Prediction
The Cavaliers have ruled out Max Strus and Evan Mobley with Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade both listed as questionable, while the Nuggets have ruled out Aaron Gordon, Spencer Jones and Peyton Watson with Jamal Murray listed as questionable. The Cavaliers survived a bit of a scare in their last outing but overall they’ve been on fire lately despite being banged up, and they’re only going to improve once James Harden gets used to playing with his new team. In contrast, the Nuggets were really struggling before they blew past the Bulls in a much-needed win on Saturday, but they will be hoping that Murray will be able to suit up for this one. The Cavaliers are certainly tempting at the short line against a shorthanded Nuggets team, but the Nuggets have Jokic who can certainly pick up the slack, so I will back the Nuggets as the slight home underdog.